15 April 2026
We are pleased to share the 2026 State of Child Health in Aotearoa New Zealand report, published by Cure Kids in March 2026. This report provides a comprehensive, evidence-based snapshot of child health across four key areas: respiratory conditions, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, mental health, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand is proud to have contributed to this important work, with Society members Assoc Prof Nicola Austin, Dr Kai Steinmann, Dr Tim Jelleyman, and Prof John Thompson serving as contributing authors alongside colleagues from Cure Kids, the NZ Child and Youth Epidemiology Service at the University of Otago, and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
The report finds respiratory hospitalisation rates are at record highs, driven by deepening inequities affecting Pacific, Māori, and MELAA children, and those living in the most deprived communities. Pacific children are 43 times as likely as non-Māori non-Pacific children to be hospitalised for acute rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease, and Māori children are 16 times as likely. The report also highlights growing concerns in mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, and the systemic barriers many whānau face in accessing timely diagnosis and support.